Reduce/ Abolish Conscription (NS): Only Way thru Parliament?

zulkifli mahmood

16 Nov 14, 11:53

Like that Roy Ngerng and Han HuiHui, TS may stand up to the growing public sentiment to petition to vote and forward your answers 'Reduce' or 'Abolish' the national sacred duty call of National Service (NS) in the Republic of Singapore to the government of the day in Singapore. Please give constructive reasons to support your answers.

A referendum (in some countries synonymous with
plebiscite — or a vote on a ballot
question) is a direct vote in
which an entire electorate is asked to vote on a particular
proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, or a law.

Referendum is the gerund of
the Latin verb refero, and has the meaning
"bringing back" (i.e. bringing the question back to the people).
The term plebiscite has a generally similar meaning in
modern usage, and comes from the Latin plebiscita, which
originally meant a decree of the Concilium Plebis (Plebeian Council), the
popular assembly of the Roman
Republic. Today, a "referendum" can also often be referred to
as a "plebiscite", but in some countries they refer to different
types of votes, differing in their legal consequences.

Referendums and referenda are both commonly
used as plurals of referendum. However, the use of
referenda is deprecated by the Oxford English Dictionary, which advises
that:

Referendums is logically preferable as a plural form
meaning ballots on one issue (as a Latin gerund,
referendum has no plural). The Latin plural gerundive
referenda, meaning things to be referred,
necessarily connotes a plurality of issues.

The Code

16 Nov 14, 12:34

National Service (NS) provides the security and stability essential
for Singapore’s progress and prosperity. Introduced in 1967, NS is now
deeply entrenched as a national institution. It has evolved over the
years to remain relevant and keep pace with the changes in our society
and our threat environment.

Our servicemen and Regulars are at the heart of the Singapore Armed
Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Singapore Civil
Defence Force (SCDF). Since independence, NS has evolved to keep pace
with the changes in our society and our threat environment. This is
necessary if NS is to remain relevant.

Against this backdrop, the Committee to Strengthening NS (CSNS) was
set up in March 2013 to examine how the NS system can be strengthened
for the future, to better serve Singapore and Singaporeans.

To strengthen NS as the critical institution for Singapore’s continued
survival and success, the CSNS recommended measures to further:

Motivate national servicemen to give their fullest in performing their duties.

Help national servicemen balance their duties with family, career and personal commitments.

Strengthen support for NS from families, employers, schools, Permanent Residents, new citizens and the broader community.

Promote recognition and appreciation of the contributions of national servicemen.

FireIce

16 Nov 14, 12:39

hw can a country not have defence?

are u even in this country?

zulkifli mahmood

16 Nov 14, 12:44

Why NS?

NS was introduced in 1967, just 2 years after Singapore’s independence to ensure the peace and stability of our nation.

We are a 'little red dot'.

With a population of 4.4 million and a land of 699 square km,
Singapore is amongst the 20 smallest countries in the world. Singapore
is too small to change the world. Instead, we must adapt as the world
changes around us.

Importance of NS

We must be able to defend Singapore ourselves. No one else is
responsible for our security and we cannot depend on others to come to
our defence.

Our defence is predicated on deterrence. That is why we invest
heavily and consistently in building up a strong defence force to
provide that deterrence.

At the same time, we seek to be friends with as many countries
as possible in the region and beyond. By having friends who can help us
in our times of need, we enhance our security.

Need for NS

NS is our only viable option to building up a credible defence
force to ensure our survival. A conscription force by law which obliges
all eligible people to enlist would create a sizeable standing force
ready to guarantee our security.

The SAF maintains itself in a high state of operational readiness at all times so that it is able to react swiftly to any threat.

To meet the defence challenges in the 21st century, the SAF is upgrading and transforming itself into a highly sophisticated, well-integrated fighting force.

The Third Generation SAF will be a network-centric organisation. Our forces will be
interconnected, equipped with electronic information systems, and be
able to fight cooperatively, and in an integrated manner, on land, in
the air and on the sea.

Within the nation itself, the SPF upholds the law and maintains order, keeping the streets safe for family and friends.

And in case of any crisis or emergency, such as a major accident or a terrorist attack, the SCDF will be there to rescue and save the lives of fellow citizens.

All together, the SAF, SPF and SCDF play a key role in Singapore’s Total Defence—Military Defence, Civil
Defence, Economic Defence, Social Defence and Psychological Defence.

Benefits of NS

NS isn’t just about serving the nation—NS benefits you as well.

Firstly and obviously, your physical fitness will improve. You will be stronger and tougher. You may even look better!

NS training doesn’t just toughen up your body; it toughens your mind too. You will become more confident and capable.

NS brings together people from all walks of life—different
races, different religions, some rich, some poor, some educated, and
some not so educated—you will also learn to live and work closely with
those who are different from you.

At the end of it all, you will notice changes in you. You will become more mature and independent—no longer the boy you once were.

You will become a man.

Supporting your son

NS is a crucial phase in your son’s life. He will be
moving from a cosy home environment to one that requires him to be
independent, disciplined and fit.

These are big changes for your son and you can do your
part by supporting him during NS. The support and encouragement that
you provide will help make his transition from a boy to man an easy and
enjoyable one.

Here are a few simple things you can do as a parent:

Before NS

Prepare: a sure way to help your son
is to prepare him for NS life. This can be as simple as encouraging him
be independent and fit. The earlier he learns these traits the better he
will be able to cope with NS life. You can also encourage him to talk
to friends or family members who have been through NS to learn from
their NS experiences. So start early with this.

The first days

Observe: The first few days or
initial weeks of NS are the most crucial. This is the time where your
son will most likely feel the impact of the change. Talking to him
during this period will give him encouragement to take the change in his
stride.

Regular weekends

Converse: NS has much to offer in
terms of rich experiences—new people, new practices, new words and new
friends. Be a part of your son’s NS life by having a conversation about
his NS experiences. This is a good opportunity for you to bond with your
son.

NS facts

National Service (NS) was introduced in 1967, shortly after
Singapore’s independence, to defend our nation. Since then, 700 000 sons
of Singapore have served their NS.

Every son is important to Singapore. NS will transform our boys
into men, a path trodden by many sons of Singapore and more to come.
Your son is no different. Your son’s potential will be put to test in a
challenging environment that will strengthen his mental and physical
abilities. Living together with peers from different ethnicity and
backgrounds, he will also appreciate the importance of teamwork and
unity.

NS, is the responsibility of every male Singapore citizen and
permanent resident (PR) when they reach the age of 18. This is
compulsory, governed under the Enlistment Act.

If your son is a male Singapore citizen or a PR, he is liable
for NS when he reaches 16½ years old. He is to enlist at the first
opportunity upon reaching 18 years old.

NS requires 2 years in active service as a Full-Time National
Serviceman (NSF). After the 2 years of NS, your son will serve as an
Operationally Ready National Serviceman (NSman) up to the age of 40.
Officers or those with special skills may serve until the age of 50.

A referendum (in some countries synonymous with plebiscite — or a vote on a ballot question) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to vote on a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, or a law.

Referendum is the gerund of the Latin verb refero, and has the meaning "bringing back" (i.e. bringing the question back to the people). The term plebiscite has a generally similar meaning in modern usage, and comes from the Latin plebiscita, which originally meant a decree of the Concilium Plebis (Plebeian Council), the popular assembly of the Roman Republic.
Today, a "referendum" can also often be referred to as a "plebiscite",
but in some countries they refer to different types of votes, differing
in their legal consequences.

Referendums and referenda are both commonly used as plurals of referendum. However, the use of referenda is deprecated by the Oxford English Dictionary, which advises that:

Referendums is logically preferable as a plural form meaning ballots on one issue (as a Latin gerund, referendum has no plural). The Latin plural gerundive referenda, meaning things to be referred, necessarily connotes a plurality of issues.

In the United States, a referendum is also typically known as an initiative when originating in a petition of ordinary citizens, and as a
referendum only if it consists of a proposal referred to voters by the
legislature. A referendum can be considered a kind of election and is often referred to as such in the U.S. (an election literally means a choice). In other countries, the term election is often reserved for events in which elected representatives are chosen.

From a political philosophical perspective, referendums are an expression of direct democracy.
However, in the modern world, most referendums need to be understood as
an element of systems that are predominantly representative in
character. As such, they tend to be used quite selectively, covering
issues such as changes in voting systems, where currently elected
officials may not have the legitimacy or inclination to implement such
changes.

Most of the time, when the citizens of a country are invited to vote, it is for an election.
However, people can also vote in referendums. Since the end of the
eighteenth century, more than five hundred national referendums were
organised in the world; among them, more than three hundred were held in
Switzerland.[1]Australia ranked second with dozens of referendums.

A referendum usually offers the electorate only two choices, either
to accept or reject a proposal, but this may not necessarily be the
case. In Switzerland, for example, multiple choice referendums are common; two multiple choice referendums held in Sweden, in 1957 and 1980, offered voters a choice of three options; in 1977 a referendum held in Australia to determine a new national anthem was held in which voters were presented with four choices; and in 1992,
New Zealand held a five-option referendum on their electoral system.

A multiple choice referendum poses the question of how the result is
to be determined if no single option receives the support of an absolute
majority (more than half) of voters - a proviso for some; others regard a non-majoritarian methodology like the Borda count as more inclusive and more accurate. This question can be resolved by applying voting systems designed for single winner elections to a multiple-choice referendum.

Swiss referendums get around this problem by offering a separate vote
on each of the multiple options as well as an additional decision about
which of the multiple options should be preferred. In the Swedish case,
in both referendums the 'winning' option was chosen by the Single Member Plurality ("first past the post") system. In other words the winning option was deemed to be that supported by a plurality,
rather than an absolute majority, of voters. In the 1977 Australian
referendum the winner was chosen by the system of preferential instant-runoff voting.
The 1992 New Zealand poll was counted under the two-round system, as
were polls in Newfoundland (1949) and Guam (1982), for example.

Although California does not have deliberate multiple-choice referendums in the Swiss or
Swedish sense (in which only one of several counter-propositions can be
victorious, and the losing proposals are wholly null and void), it does
have so many yes-or-no referendums at each Election Day that the State's
Constitution provides a method for resolving inadvertent conflicts when
two or more inconsistent propositions are passed on the same day. This
is a de facto form of Approval Voting - i.e., the proposition with the most "yes" votes prevails over the others to the extent of any conflict.

Other voting systems which could be used in multi-option referendums are the Borda and Condorcet rules.

zulkifli mahmood

16 Nov 14, 15:16

NATO - No Action, Talk Only.

Go petition to President or Parliament for public referendum lah...

zulkifli mahmood

16 Nov 14, 15:30

Locked as TS don't appreciate face given.

eac

16 Nov 14, 20:18

100 years after Norway introduced full voting rights for women,the Norwegian Parliament voted to adopt compulsory conscription for women as well as men with an overwhelming majority. – This is an historic day for equality and for our armed forces, said Norway’s Defence Minister, Mrs. Anne-Grete Stroem-Erichsen, on the day of the vote.

With the decision, seen as another major step towards equal rights, Norway will be the only European country and first peacetime NATO member practising gender-neutral conscription.

This is important for two reasons. Male-only conscription is out of synch with the rest of society. All citizens shall have the same rights and obligations, regardless of sex.

Secondly, in order to secure our operational capabilities in the future we need to recruit the best, and we need diversity. Therefore we cannot limit our recruitment to the male half of the population, says the Defence Minister.

This does not mean that all women must serve in the military. Women will, however, be subject to conscription on an equal basis with men, making them as likely to serve in the military as people of the opposite gender. Norway’s armed forces have an annual requirement for 8 - 10,000 conscripts out of a total of 60,000 men and women in the relevant age group. Recruitment is already high and increasing, and the number of applicants each year exceeds the needs of the Armed Forces.

We do not adopt conscription for women because we need more soldiers, but because we need the best, no matter who they may be, says the Defence Minister, and adds: - High-tech equipment alone does not make for a modern military; we also need a modern and diverse organisation with different people, skills and perspectives.

Norway’s goal is to have 20 percent women in its armed forces by 2020. Today the share is nine percent. Over the years, a wide range of measures have been taken to increase the number of women, but they have yielded limited results. Today, women who join the military are asked why they do it. It is my hope that the natural question to ask in the future is why they don’t want to serve, says Mrs. Stroem-Erichsen.Norway on Tuesday voted to extend military service to women, saying the step was meant to expand the talent pool for its armed forces.

“We wish to extend military service to all in order to attract the most motivated and competent (recruits),” Minister of Defence Ine Eriksen Soereide told news channel TV2 after parliament adopted amendments to two laws paving the way for the change.

Most European countries have abolished conscription in favor of a professional army, but Norway has instead said it wants to ensure its military is more competent and diverse by making it “gender neutral.”

The new policy will come into effect in 2016, bringing the NATO country, which operates a weak form of mandatory military service, more in line with Israel than other European nations.

But the change, first proposed by the previous center-left government, is unlikely to affect more than a small fraction of young Norwegians.

Some 8,000 people — including about 1,000 women, all volunteers — are currently called up for military service each year out of a potential 60,000.

Norway had an official target of reaching 20 percent women in the army by 2020 under the previous administration but the right-wing government, which took power last year, has not committed to gender targets.

An historic bill was passed by the Norwegian parliament on Tuesday extending mandatory military service to women as part of a plan to promote gender equality.

Proposition 122 L is looking to amend the Military Service and Home Guard Acts to enable women to fight in the military.

The bill was passed in Oslo with a strong majority of 96 votes in favour of the proposition while just six votes were against.

Women currently make up about 13 per cent of the Norwegian Armed Forces but that ratio could be set to rise. The proposition will be put to a second reading later in the term before being written into law. According to the Norwegian government women women currently make up about 13 per cent of the Norwegian Armed Forces. If the bill is enacted, all medically fit women between 19 and 44
years old will have to serve at least 19 months of mandatory duty
in the armed forces. It will apply to women born in Norway from
1997 onwards, with the first service in the summer of 2016. Women
will also be subject to conscription during wartime.

Defense Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide said in a statement, 'The most suitable and most motivated will join the service, regardless of gender.'

Norway is one of the most proactive countries in the world for championing women in the work force. Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg and Finance Minister Siv Jensen are both women.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development previously acknowledged that the Scandinavian country has the fourth highest proportion of female workers in the world (with 76.1 per cent) after Iceland, Sweden and Switzerland.

Currently, women constitute just above 10 percent of military conscripts in Norway, serving in the armed forces on a volunteer basis. The initiative of compulsory military service for all citizens regardless of gender makes Norway the first European country to make such a decision in peacetime.

Earlier this year, the Norwegian army started testing unisex dormitories. Women soldiers shared bedrooms with male recruits at one of the country's military bases.

"Even though there is a girl in the room, it doesn't mean there are any romances. We are just soldiers," conscript Mathias Hoegevold told Ruptly news agency.

In August 2013, the country's military officials announced that men in the army would be permitted to grow their hair long and keep it in ponytails, after a male officer complained it wasn't fair that only women were allowed to have longer styles.

If enacted, the new bill for mandatory female service will include provisions for the use of gender-neutral language.

Before being written into law, the proposition must be approved in the second reading. Voting is expected to take place later this term.

ArJoe

16 Nov 14, 20:20

Originally posted by zulkifli mahmood:

Just give your answer 'Reduce' or 'Abolish' the mandatory
National Service in Singapore. However, you can give your reasons
to support your answer. It is up to you.